There is much misconception about what true peace is by many in the professing Church. Many think that it is to not stir up trouble, fight or contend boldly and publicly with people who disagree with oneself. They think that Jesus was peaceful in that He would strongly rebuke, scold, or chastise. This is a serious misconception.
Jesus pronounced seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:13-39). He told the paralysed man he healed, and the woman caught in adultery to sin no more without qualification in his command to stop sinning (John 5:14-15; 8:11). He did not only strongly rebuke the hypocritical Pharisees, but anyone who sinned. He cared not who it was. As long as someone sinned, he would rebuke them boldly, directly, openly without compromise.
Jesus is kind, merciful and gentle, but by no means does this mean He is pacifist. If Jesus were a pacifist, He would not have overturned the tables of the usurers and merchants, and chased them out of the Temple of His Father:
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves (Matthew 21:12-13).
Do not think for a second that Jesus held back in overturning the tables of the usurers and merchants, and chasing them out.
Pacifism is a kind of peace, a worldly peace. It purports that people should not contend or fight at all, but rather, leave people to live in accordance to their own ways. While there is much true in pacifism in contention is a sin (Galatians 5:20), the deception lies in its definition what it means to contend.
The Word of God says that keeping the Law of God is to contend with the wicked, while forsaking it is to praise the wicked (Proverbs 28:4). It also says that a follower of Christ is to contend earnestly for the faith:
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3).
The underlying so-called 'wisdom' of pacifism is that there is no right or wrong, such that people should not contend or fight with each other. It is the wisdom of the world (James 3:14-16). It is an evil wisdom which is extremely deceptive, and manifests in perversion of righteousness in all kinds of ways.
True peace, the peace of God, comes from knowing righteousness from evil, holiness from that which is profane. True peace loves righteousness, a fruit righteousness itself. True peace finds its assurance in knowing that it is right in the sight of Sovereign God who alone reigns in the whole universe.
Pacifism derives it peace from stopping people from fighting or contending, and as such, can have no assurance of peace. For its does not derive its assurance of all being well from righteousness before a holy and righteous God.
Pacifism often manifests in people being worried or anxious about certain ideologies, political views or religion, including Christianity, owing to the mindset that such worldviews are aggressive, oppressive or militant. Pacifism manifests in discomfort or unease towards any worldview or movement that it merely perceives to be aggressive, oppressive or militant, simply because it stands for its own values.
Pacifism leads to cowardice, as it seeks to please all to not offend or gain approval, as opposed to stand up for what it perceives, whether rightly or wrongly, to be righteousness. This desires to not offend anyone or gain approval from all, is the fear of people which is a snare, leading one to weakness, owing to fear in standing against evil: The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25).
Jesus, in Matthew 10:34-36, said:
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Jesus did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword. It is only by dividing the earth with the sword of truth that true peace shall come. For true peace only comes by upholding the righteousness of God.
Jesus pronounced seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:13-39). He told the paralysed man he healed, and the woman caught in adultery to sin no more without qualification in his command to stop sinning (John 5:14-15; 8:11). He did not only strongly rebuke the hypocritical Pharisees, but anyone who sinned. He cared not who it was. As long as someone sinned, he would rebuke them boldly, directly, openly without compromise.
Jesus is kind, merciful and gentle, but by no means does this mean He is pacifist. If Jesus were a pacifist, He would not have overturned the tables of the usurers and merchants, and chased them out of the Temple of His Father:
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves (Matthew 21:12-13).
Do not think for a second that Jesus held back in overturning the tables of the usurers and merchants, and chasing them out.
Pacifism is a kind of peace, a worldly peace. It purports that people should not contend or fight at all, but rather, leave people to live in accordance to their own ways. While there is much true in pacifism in contention is a sin (Galatians 5:20), the deception lies in its definition what it means to contend.
The Word of God says that keeping the Law of God is to contend with the wicked, while forsaking it is to praise the wicked (Proverbs 28:4). It also says that a follower of Christ is to contend earnestly for the faith:
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3).
The underlying so-called 'wisdom' of pacifism is that there is no right or wrong, such that people should not contend or fight with each other. It is the wisdom of the world (James 3:14-16). It is an evil wisdom which is extremely deceptive, and manifests in perversion of righteousness in all kinds of ways.
True peace, the peace of God, comes from knowing righteousness from evil, holiness from that which is profane. True peace loves righteousness, a fruit righteousness itself. True peace finds its assurance in knowing that it is right in the sight of Sovereign God who alone reigns in the whole universe.
Pacifism derives it peace from stopping people from fighting or contending, and as such, can have no assurance of peace. For its does not derive its assurance of all being well from righteousness before a holy and righteous God.
Pacifism often manifests in people being worried or anxious about certain ideologies, political views or religion, including Christianity, owing to the mindset that such worldviews are aggressive, oppressive or militant. Pacifism manifests in discomfort or unease towards any worldview or movement that it merely perceives to be aggressive, oppressive or militant, simply because it stands for its own values.
Pacifism leads to cowardice, as it seeks to please all to not offend or gain approval, as opposed to stand up for what it perceives, whether rightly or wrongly, to be righteousness. This desires to not offend anyone or gain approval from all, is the fear of people which is a snare, leading one to weakness, owing to fear in standing against evil: The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25).
Jesus, in Matthew 10:34-36, said:
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Jesus did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword. It is only by dividing the earth with the sword of truth that true peace shall come. For true peace only comes by upholding the righteousness of God.
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